Now it’s been a few weeks since the G20 Summit and Protests in Toronto, but I’m still at a loss for explanations. Normally I can understand things that I don’t agree with, but this certainly is not one of those times.
When the G20 was announced in Toronto, I didn’t understand. They started moving the G8 Summits to small towns, like Huntsville, to stop disrupting local economies, and ensure easier security. So why did they put this giant summit in the biggest city in the country?
Date: November 4, 2008
Prologue: Does love deserve a chance to live and die on its own? This past year many people thought that it didn’t, and tried to put a stop to love…
Like many states in America, groups in California had presented a ballot measure during this falls election. There was a choice to ban gay marriage or to allow it. While California was far from the first state to have such a measure, it stood as the best hope for gay rights activists.
Not only has California long had it’s laissez-faire attitude, but the California Supreme Court had already struck down a ban on gay marriage that spring. However, any hope was for naught, as Proposition 8 (also dubbed Proposition Hate) was enacted, and gay marriage was once again banned in California.
This marked the first time in America that people have democratically elected to take away the rights of others.
There has been a lot of blame thrown around as to why Proposition 8 passed, everything from homophobia in blacks, to money from Idaho, to a nasty smear-filled campaign have taken centre stage.
No matter what the reason for this change, one important question does remain. Why are so many people opposed to gay marriage? I mean, really, if you don’t like gay marriage then DO NOT GET ONE!!! Who are you to stop anyone else from getting one?
It really is amazing that so many people got so involved in an issue that really has nothing to do with their lives. In no way did the Supreme Court say that any churches had to perform any gay marriages, thus giving them the full authority as to who they want to allow to get married and who they do not. Really for the “Yes” crowd, gay marriage is nothing more than an inconvenience, something that they do not want to see, but does not do anything to them.
However, for the people who had their rights repealed, it is an entirely different story. They were allowed one of the most fundamental rights and had it taken away on a whim. Somehow or another, getting married was not considered to be an element of “the pursuit of happiness”, and ws not deemed unalienable enough.
Epilogue: There have been protests against Proposition 8, and a public outcry over this. However, it appears that it will be a long time before this can be changed again. Until then, gays will have to continue to be second class citizens.
Until next time,
G
Achieved Year in Review Posts:
The Fall of the Prophet – January 6th
The Rise of the Ice Queen -January 7th
An Unlikely Fruition – January 7th
Attack of the Three-Headed Terror – January 9th
A Most Sincere Inquiry – January 10th
The Golden League – January 14th
The Fall from Grace – January 16th
The Eighth Layer of Injustice – January 16th
The Transmuter of Nations – January 22nd
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a practicing vegan. In the nearly three years that I have been “this way” I have had to defend my choices on a routine basis. I don’t know if it is because I have recently uprooted (yet again) and made a whole new peer group (yet again) or for other reasons, but I find myself defending my choices much more frequently in the past little while. As a result of this, I have decided that I will start a new feature here on my blogeroo (yet again), where I discuss some reasons why I am indeed a vegan. I realize that a few times before I have posted some news related articles about animal cruelty, but these posts will be less anecdotal and a bit more serious. Before I start, I would like to thank my good friend and long time hero, Kermit The Frog, for inspiring my title, God bless you frog, God bless you.
I guess I need to talk a bit about myself before I explain this reason. While I tend to act pretty off the wall sometimes, I consider myself to be a pretty mellow person at heart. While I am passionate about many things, I rarely ever get honestly or truly angry at anyone. As a result of this, I haven’t been in a fight since Grade 4. I find violence to be completely unnecessary in the vast majority of cases and I think that the more level headed approach is often the best one. I guess what I am trying to say here is, at the very core of my beliefs and value systems I consider myself to be a pacifist.
Editors Note: If I may, I would like to take a moment to meta-blog here. I have a feeling that any of you out there who eat meat (omnis as I call “you people”) are wondering when I will get to the point, but any of you out there who are vegans/vegetarians are realizing that I have already proven my point. Anyway, back to the point…
Violence is rarely about causing pain, it is rarely about proving a point, it is rarely about emotion, it is often about one thing, power. It is about taking the power from the victim and giving it to the perpetrator. It is a way of forcing your will upon another at the purest most basic of level. I have been a firm believer that might does not make right, and I hope many of you are as well.
What does this have to do with not consuming animal products you ask? Well, omnis out there, raise your hand if one of your main reasons for eating meat is because you like the taste…if 99.99999999999999% of you out there don’t have your hands up then you are either filthy liars or not playing along with my game, and what fun is that?
So if you eat meat because you like the taste, then you eat it because you want to. Your will is to eat the animal’s flesh. No matter how smart or dumb you think that an animal is, they all have the most basic desire when confronted with a potentially lethal situation “I am going to die, I don’t want to die”. When you kill that animal to eat it (or have someone else do it for you) you are clearly forcing your will upon that animal.
How can you justify violently forcing your will upon something? Is it ok because we have the canine teeth and technology? If so then that sounds like justifying something because you have the means and the power to do so. So does that mean then that might makes right?
It never has to me, and it never will.
I’m going to close with a video here called “Meet Your Meat”, which shows just how violently animals can be treated en route to your plate. I warn you, it contains some very graphic footage.
Until next time,
G
Take 1 – Pacifism
Take 2 – The Environment
Take 3 – Pesticides, and Poo, and Pus, Oh My!
Take 4 – Distribution of Resources
Today I found two little news stories that make me quite happy that I haven’t eaten an animal product in two and a half years.
The first of which was the news, that they discovered their 9th case of Mad Cow in Alberta since 2003. This has to really hurt for Canadian Cattle farmers, since this will of course get quite overplayed with the American Media and will no doubt hurt their trade. I do not wish any ills to the cattle farmers, who I believe are generally good, honest people. But you know what, I hope that Mad Cow cases like this really make people wonder about just what they are eating.
There is a new enhanced feed ban coming into place in July, which aims to eliminate cases of BSE (Mad Cow) within 10 years. Yes, 10 years. How does that make you omnis feel about eating potentially contaminated meat over the next decade?
People need to realize that when you eat an animal, you are eating everything that animal has eaten. Animal feed is often made up of some of the worst things. The Canadian Feed Policy states:
“Canadian producers may feed their ruminants only approved animal protein (products) such as pure porcine, equine, poultry and fish products. Protein that includes meat and bone meal from mammals other than pigs and horses is prohibited in ruminant feeds. Milk, blood, gelatin, rendered animal fats and their products have not been banned.”
So that means for the next ten years that you are indirectly eating horse bones and blood. Sounds lovely doesn’t it?
One of my favourite sites, Vegan Porn (not as bad as it sounds), has a great on-line store, and this is a logo on one of their shirts. Hilarious eh?
I’m a medium if you are wondering.
Also in the news. Britain has called for an EU-wide ban on Seal products. This is mainly due to concerns over the annual Canadian Seal Hunt. Honestly one of the worst things ever. I can’t believe that our government allows, supports and sponsors this act of barbarism. I was googling some pictures to post on here and so many of them were gruesome and I didn’t want to put here, but here are some good before pictures.
Disgusting isn’t it?
Before I sign off, I have to ask. If clubbing a seal for fur is wrong then why is slitting a cow for leather right?
Until next time,
G
That Other Blog of Mine